Mallorcan Ensaimadas

My Favourite Breads

Today my bread journey takes me to Mallorca, Spain, to sample one of the best sweet buns I ever tasted. They are called Mallorcan Ensaimadas, ensaïmada de Mallorca or the traditional sweet bread of Mallorca. Frankly speaking I had to google the map of Europe to confirm where Spain is in relation to other countries and I also had to search for Mallorca for several minutes, and then realized it’s an island off the mainland, on the East. Funny eh? After landing on some tourism website, I also realized Mallorca is the perfect place for me to go. This is how the website describes it: “the island is well-known for its purpose built resorts and package and if you want all night partying and lazy days on the beach, then this is the place to come… and sailing is of course a big thing in Mallorca too!”

Who wouldn’t want to party all-night, have lazy days on the beach and sail in a yacht? Mallorca, here I come! Exactly when, I really don’t know. I guess you need to carry a pot of gold to live in a resort, party all night long and charter a yacht. The recipe was traditionally made with some pork lard but I used butter instead. You can eat them for breakfast, as a snack or dunk them in your tea or coffee. I made 16 for breakfast and they were demolished in seconds! I hope you love them too!

Ingredients

225g (8oz, 2 cups) all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon Fleischmann’s instant yeast

½ teaspoon salt

50g (2oz, ¼ cup) sugar

75ml (5 tablespoons) warm milk

1 egg, beaten

30ml (2 tablespoons) canola or sunflower oil

50g (2oz) butter, melted

Icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting

Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start. Line two baking sheets with parchment (greaseproof paper).

Sift the flour, yeast, salt and sugar into a bowl

and make a well in the centre. Add the milk, egg and canola oil to the well and mix with a spoon until combined..

Turn over on to a lightly floured surface

and knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size for about 1 hour.

Knock back the dough, and divide into 16 equal parts.

Shape each piece into a thin rope about 15 inches (38cm) long.

Pour melted butter onto a plate and dip the ropes into the butter to coat. Curl each rope on the plate, into a spiral,

and transfer onto the baking sheet, spacing well apart. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Cover with a lightly oiled clear film or transparent bag and leave to rise in a warm place, about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the rolls with water and dust with icing sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Line two baking sheets with parchment (greaseproof paper). Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) ten minutes before using.

Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Add the milk, egg and canola oil to the well and mix with a spoon until combined. Turn over on to a lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size for about 1 hour.

Knock back the dough, and divide into 16 equal parts. Shape each piece into a thin rope about 15 inches (38cm) long. Pour melted butter onto a plate and dip the ropes into the butter to coat.

Curl each rope on the plate, into a spiral, and place on the baking sheet, spacing well apart. Tuck the ends under to seal. Cover with a lightly oiled clear film or transparent bag and leave to rise in a warm place, about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Brush the rolls with water and dust with icing sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust again with icing sugar and serve warm.

For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml American cup.

Points to Note

Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperatures depending on your oven. I baked the at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes.

Hi Liz, The sweet buns looks lovely and I would love to bake some to try myself. Do you mind if I reproduce the recipe to my site for easy reference? With link back to you of course! Thanks in advance!
Jeannie.

Mmm I know what you mean about christmas. People are already buying and dispatching gifts and our houses are gleaming with X-mas lights. That Sinabung is very scary. I fear for those people too! I have never seen an erupting volcano, live. It must be so damn scary!!!
Liz

Oh it is scary to see a volcano but there is one thing scarier than that. There have been small quakes caused by the volcanic activities. It is such a scary thing to wake up in the middle of the night and feel the earth shaking beneath.

Wow, Liz, I can’t believe you just made a batch of ensaimadas mallorquinas!!!!! I love them, though I’ve never made them myself. Yours are so lovely… If you happen to visit Mallorca any time, please, let me know 😉 (you’d surely have a wonderful time there…)
Un beso

I’ve been in Mallorca a lot of years ago, when I was young. It’s really easy to go there when you live in Italy! Unfortunately I was to young to remember these amazing buns! I’ve noted this recipe down!

Liz – these look ‘to die for’… like little bits of light, fluffy goodness! About the ‘partying all night and lazing on the beach all day’… but NO YACHT…. you can do that cheaper, I believe at one of the resorts around Cancun, Mexico. The one I recently stayed at is very affordable and was really lovely. However, I didn’t do any ‘partying all night’. The friend I was with is not a Party Person. If I’d have gone with my sister-in-laws… that would’ve been a whole different vacation! ; o )

Hi there Cecile,
Nice to hear from you. These Ensaimadas were so delicious. The sort, you eat without talking and listen to and savour the taste and flavour. I haven’t been to Mexico either. Maybe one day I shall have an opportunity to be there, like you, and probably party the whole night long…ha ha! Have a lovely week and thanks so much for leaving me a ton of messages. I noticed you have several new posts. Let me check them out right now! Goodnight!
Liz

These are gorgeous, Liz! I bet they would melt in your mouth. I definitely want to put these on my list of breads to try. I have a question for you. What temperature do you usually get the milk or water to when using yeast? Or do you even need to use a thermometer any more? I have breadsticks in the oven rising (hopefully) right now, but I always feel nervous until I can see that the dough is growing.

Hi Shari,
I don’t use a thermometer anymore. I just feel it with my hands. It shouldn’t feel like burning. just warm enough. How did the breadsticks go? I’ve been procrastinating about making some. Let me pop over and see them. I wish you a lovely week!
Liz

Oh, my! I can’t think of any words, either. Nothing sufficient to describe how delicious these look comes to my mind at all! I just read a recipe for Parker House Rolls, which are very good, too. But I may scrap those and try these. GASP! ;->